A control system, which may be referred to as an intelligent parking assist, is known in which a steering force (and driving force) that is outputted by an electric power steering unit or the like is controlled to guide a vehicle equipped with the control system to a target parking position. The target parking position is set on an operating screen where an image obtained by a camera installed to view the rear of the vehicle is displayed (see Non-Patent Document 1, for example).
In such a control system, in order to avoid complicating the control, normally an initial position is set from which the vehicle can be guided to the target parking position smoothly (i.e., without repeatedly moving the steering wheel and the vehicle back and forth, while minimizing the angle of movement of the steering wheel when the vehicle is not moving). Such guidance of the vehicle to the initial position may involve a voice or visual guidance, automatic steering control, or automatic travel control.
In an apparatus for guiding a vehicle to an initial position by automatic steering control (see Patent Document 1, for example), an automatic steering control is effected so that, after a vehicle is moved near a targeted parking space, the vehicle can be guided to a travel direction switching position (which corresponds to the aforementioned initial position).    Patent Document 1: Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 2000-335436    Non-Patent Document 1: New model car manual for Prius (No. 7108100), Chapter 5, “Electrical”, pp. 120-133, Servicing Department of Toyota Motor Corporation, Sep. 1, 2003